Do Doc Leaves really heal stinging nettle rashes? Or is it some kind of placebo, developed by our parents who have lied to us for years in order to stop us as small children from crying when stung... I do believe in the healing properties of Doc Leaves, but need to know if I have been misled!

Hannah Sierp, London, UK

Dock leaves are a sworn analgesic proof against nettle stings. You need only plunge some part of your anatomy into stinging nettles and then rub the crushed leaf, vein-side down, across the affected part, to effect instant relief and an empirical proof.

John Bennett, Glasgow, Scotland

Empirical proof is great, however, I'm sure you were looking for something other than that - the substance in nettles that stings is Formic Acid, and in Doc leaves there is a form of alcohol, which is an alkaline substance, therefore the alkaline neutralises the acid. It's the same idea as using vinger (an acid) so help relieve stings from wasps/bees (can't remember which one!)

Paul Salmon, Edinburgh, Scotland

It is the bee sting which is acidic (it contains methanoic, or formic acid, the same stuff ants spray at each other) and should be treated with an alkali; but the wasp sting is in fact of a neutral pH, so an acid won't do any good at all.
The best idea is to wash the stung area with soap and water, and to apply an antihistamine topically, or take antihistamine tablets orally. In any event, if your face swells up like a football, seek medical attention.

John Bennett, Glasgow, Scotland

Incidentally, anti-histamines are only useful as a prophylactic as they do not work fast enough to stop an allergic reaction that has already started. You need good old adrenaline to stop any bad allergic reactions you have to anything as it is the bodies natural anti-histamine.

Paul Salmon, Edinburgh, Scotland

I think dock leaves help the pain go away by rubbing it very carfully. Sometimes a red rash or a big bump comes up.

Alice Bevan, Woodbridge, Suffolk

In fact, the wasp sting is a pH of 3 and should be treated by an alkaline, the mighty vinegar would work upon this sting. Whereas the bee sting is a pH of 9, therefore should be treated by an acid,and this is where a doc leaf would produce relief by counter acting the sting. So conclusion to that is that we should always identify our assailant.

Euan Brodie, Glasgow Scotland

Not nitpicking - genuinely confused... Does the last answer have the doc leaf and the vinegar the wrong way around? or does the person mean to say that we actually should use doc leaves on bee stings and have had it wrong all these years? =/

Anna, Manchester England

A previous answer claimed that alcohol is alkaline - it is but it's pH is so close to neutral as to make it useless for neutralising acids. Also I can find no botanical evidence that dock leaves contain any alcohol. In fact they contain oxalic acid so any effect could not possibly be due to neutralising acid. Scientists have looked into this and can find no antihistamine chemicals in dock leaves nor any hard evidence that they work any better than any other leaf. They may work but if they do then we don't know why.

Neil, Wokingham Berkshire

My mum always used a paste of baking soda and witch hazel to slather on our bee or wasp stings. It worked great.
She was an R.N., as well as being from an "Old World peasant-y" (I mean that nicely) sort of background where people had to know folk remedies because they could not go to doctors easily.

Eileen Fay, Saugerties, NY U.S.

It is true you can use a dock leaf, but only on acids as it is a form of alcohol(alkaline) meaning treating a wasps sting with this may just make it worse.

Jeremy Whyte, Manchester England

This Youtube video shows how to use Doc leaves properly on Nettle stings.
http://youtu.be/48nAkA7MUTs

Mick, South Benfleet UK

Actually Doc Leaves do neutralize the formic acid that the nettle stings contain, because it contains alkali that reacts to the acids in the nettles, and soothes the pain.